Almond tree (&#34;Wes-Mar&#34;)

ABSTRACT

An almond tree which is medium size, vigorous, sturdy, spreading, and dense; abundantly foliated with large, lanceolate, acutely pointed leaves having a finely serrate margin, and small, green, globose glands; blooms heavily with white flowers; and, with medium productivity, is a regular bearer of small, well-sealed nuts having a small, plump, sweet kernel.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

1. Field of the Invention

In the course of the maintenance of an almond orchard on my ranchlocated near Atwater, Merced County, Calif., I frequent such orchard forthe purpose of inspection, cultivation, and irrigation, and--against thebackground of such activities--the present variety of almond tree wasdiscovered.

2. Classification of the Variety

The present new and distinct variety of almond tree is embraced by Class30, Plants, of the United States Patent Office Manual of Classification.

PRIOR VARIETIES

Among the existent varieties of almond trees which are known to me, andmentioned herein, are Nonpareil (unpatented) and Carmel (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 2,641).

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The present variety of almond tree was discovered by me--during myactivities in the maintenance of my aforesaid almond orchard--and whichis interplanted with Nonpareil and Carmel varieties--as a chanceseedling growing on an adjacent ditch bank. Because of its apparentvigorous growth, I permitted such chance seedling to grow, andsubsequently its bloom attracted my attention particularly in that thebloom was heavy and of substantially identical bloom-time with theadjacent Carmel trees. Further, in maturity, such chance seedling borenuts quite distinctive from those of the Carmel. Thus, with thepossibility that such chance seedling would cross-pollinate with theCarmel (which later proved correct), and as the nuts from such chanceseedling had commercial potential, I determined to asexually reproducesuch chance seedling.

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF THE VARIETY

Such chance seedling (i.e., the present variety of almond tree) was--bybudding--asexually reproduced on my behalf by a commercial nursery, andsuch reproductions, in maturity, ran true in all respects to such chanceseedling.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The present variety of almond tree is characteristically of medium size,vigorous, sturdy, spreading, and dense; abundantly foliated with large,lanceolate, acutely pointed leaves having a finely serrate margin, andsmall, green, globose glands; blooms heavily with white flowers; and,with medium productivity, is a regular bearer of small, well-sealed nutshaving a small, plump, sweet kernel.

The present variety of almond tree is further and more particularlycharacterized by a substantially identical bloom-time with the Carmeland which assures against some crop diminution when cross-pollenizingvarieties have lapped but somewhat staggered bloom-times which results,for example, in the earliest blooms of one of the cross-pollenizers notbeing properly pollenized. This disadvantage is substantially whollyeliminated by the employment of the present variety as across-pollenizer with the Carmel. Also, the present variety serves aswell as the Carmel as a cross-pollenizer for the Nonpareil.

The present variety of almond tree is still further characterized, incomparison to the Carmel, by nuts which have more uniform spacingthroughout the tree and in distinction to the Carmel which has heavyclusters with the nuts commonly in contact with each other; by nutswhich are much shorter and more round than the slender, tapered nuts ofthe Carmel; by nuts having more pits in the cork; by nuts whose kernelsare short and plump whereas the kernels of the Carmel are quiteelongated; and by nuts having a pellicle which is darker brown than thatof the Carmel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing is an illustration, by photographic reproduction in color,of a twig with leaves and nuts in hull; a twig with leaves; nuts out ofhull; and kernels out of shell.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The botanical details of this new and distinct variety of almondtree--with color definitions (except those in common color terms)referenced to Maerz and Paul Dictionary of Color (First Edition)--are asfollows:

Tree:

Density.--Dense.

Size.--Medium.

Vigor.--Vigorous.

Growth.--Sturdy.

Trunk:

Form.--Stocky.

Texture.--Medium.

Branches:

Form.--Stocky.

Texture.--Smooth.

Lenticels.--Medium -- Small.

Branching habit.--Spreading.

Color.--New wood: Brown. Mature wood: Dull brown.

Foliage:

Quantity.--Abundant.

Leaves:

Size (mature).--Large. Average length -- 4.31". Average width -- 1.02".

Shape.--Lanceolate. Acutely pointed.

Thickness.--Thin.

Texture.--Smooth.

Margin.--Finely serrate.

Petiole.--Medium length. Slender.

Glands.--Average number -- 1. Small. Globose. Green. Positioned onpetiole near blade.

Stipules.--None.

Color.--Top Side -- Medium green (22-K-7). Under Side -- Lighter green(22-H-7).

Bloom:

Amount of bloom.--Heavy.

Color.--White.

Blooming period.--Medium. Substantially identical bloom-time withCarmel.

Crop:

Bearing.--Regular bearer.

Productivity.--Medium.

Distribution of nuts on tree.--Well distributed.

Harvest period.--Sept. 3, 1981. Medium, as compared to Nonpareil.

Tenacity.--Hangs well on tree. Easy to harvest. Easy to hull.

Hull:

Outer surface.--Smooth.

Form.--Regular.

Thickness.--Thin.

Flesh.--Tough.

Suture.--Flat.

Color.--Light yellow green (21-J-5) with silvery sheen.

Dehiscence.--Opens freely.

Splitting.--Along suture. Freely at base.

Nut:

Size.--Small. Average length -- 28.95 mm. Average width -- 19.55 mm.Average thickness -- 15.7 mm. Average weight -- 11.6 per ounce.

Form.--Length/Width. -- Ovate. Width/Thickness -- Plump.

Shell.--Soft. Thick. Smooth. Outer shell -- Crumbling. Inner shell --Soft. Well sealed.

Color.--Medium light brown (13-J-7).

Pits.--Small. Numerous. Shallow. Round.

Base.--Ventrally oblique.

Stem scar.--Small. Acute.

Apex.--Acute. Sharp. Shouldered.

Wing.--Narrow. Thin. Tapered toward base.

Inner surface.--Medium colored.

Ventral streak.--Light. Narrow. Long. Point acute.

Percentage of kernel to nut.--50.8%.

Kernel:

Size.--Small. Average length -- 20.8 mm. Average width -- 13.85 mm.Average thickness -- 9.6 mm. Average weight -- 33 per ounce.

Form.--Length/Width -- Ovate. Width/Thickness -- Plump.

Base.--Ventrally oblique.

Stem scar.--Small.

Apex.--Acute. Sharp. Shouldered.

Texture.--Wrinkled.

Pellicle.--Thin.

Pubescence.--Smooth. Veined.

Color.--Medium brown (13-L-9).

Number of doubles.--Medium.

Defective kernels (gummy and blanks).--Few.

Flavor.--Sweet.

Quality.--Good.

Resistance to insects and diseases: No more susceptible than any usualcommercial variety, particularly the Nonpareil.

The almond tree and its nuts herein described may vary in slight detaildue to climatic and soil conditions under which the variety may begrown; the present description being of the variety as grown in theCentral Valley of California.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of almond tree, substantially asillustrated and described, particularly characterized by substantiallyidentical bloom-time and cross-pollenizing with the Carmel; and byregular bearing of small, well-sealed nuts having a small, plump, sweetkernel.